


Sick and Needy

by dee_thehoneybee



Category: Prodigal Son (TV 2019)
Genre: F/M, Tumblr Prompt, Vomiting, but only the mention of it, not a graphic description i promise
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-14
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:53:22
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23143462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dee_thehoneybee/pseuds/dee_thehoneybee
Summary: The drive to Malcolm’s apartment was relatively quiet. The only sound to permeate the silence were passing cars and Dani’s police radio turned down low with a dull static. Dani looked over periodically at the passenger seat to find Malcolm slumped down and head resting against the cool window.They pulled over once to let Malcolm dry heave on the side of the road.
Relationships: Malcolm Bright/Dani Powell
Kudos: 60





	Sick and Needy

**Author's Note:**

> requested by anonymous: hello honey, may I request 5 or 28 or 41 (or all of them 🙊😍) from the sickness/injury prompts with brightwell? Have a nice day! 💖💖💐💐💐
> 
> 5\. “can you carry me?”
> 
> 28\. “you’re shaking, what’s wrong?”
> 
> 41\. “you’re so cute when you’re sick and needy.”

It was late at the precinct when all the other detectives had gone home. Gil advised Dani to leave hours ago but she wouldn’t quit, not when there was work to do, and not when she knew Malcolm would be left all alone.

They had been there since morning and gotten the case around noon. Malcolm was called in at 1:00 and since then, had been reading every detail of the case and conducting interviews. Nothing out of the ordinary. Except now it was 11:00 and he looked a little pale. He’d stopped drinking coffee hours ago and Dani didn’t remember him eating lunch.

The lunch part was usual. But Malcolm typically drank coffee at all hours, especially nighttime when the exhaustion would start to creep in. He knew he couldn’t sleep, even if he tried. And if he did manage, his sleep would be interrupted by night terrors. So he preferred to energize with a cup of coffee and be productive.

Dani read the same page in her notes for the third time that night. She stopped retaining information after sunset. She was mostly staying for Malcolm’s benefit. She wouldn’t get any work done like this.

Her head lolled to the side, threatening sleep at the first blink. When she snapped to attention, she noticed Malcolm was no longer at his desk.

“Bright?”

She heard a shuffling noise at the end of the hall. They weren’t alone on this floor of the precinct. But all the officers scheduled for the nightshift were preoccupied at their desks.

Malcolm turned the corner, looking worse than before. Slowly, he approached her desk.

“Damn Bright, you’re shaking. What’s wrong?”

Malcolm ignored the question and instead pulled a box of mints from his suit pocket. He tapped it against his hand.

One.

Two.

Better make it three.

“I’m fine.” He tossed back the mints and smiled that same infuriating smile Dani knew meant he absolutely was not fine. Coupled with the stench of Lysol, Dani knew he was lying.

“Did you just throw up?”

“Maybe.”

Dani’s eyebrows rose half an inch. She couldn’t believe Malcolm right now. How long had he felt sick and still content to stay and work on his profile?

“That wasn’t a ‘no’. Okay,” she said matter-of-fact, “get your stuff, I’m taking you home.” She closed the cover on her case file and grabbed the keys out of her desk. To her left, Malcolm shrugged on his coat. It surprised Dani how cooperative he was being. Normally, he would bargain for a few extra minutes to take notes or test another theory. Maybe he felt worse than Dani originally considered…

The drive to Malcolm’s apartment was relatively quiet. The only sound to permeate the silence were passing cars and Dani’s police radio turned down low with a dull static. Dani looked over periodically at the passenger seat to find Malcolm slumped down and head resting against the cool window.

They pulled over once to let Malcolm dry heave on the side of the road.

Finally arriving at Malcolm’s apartment, Dani helped Malcolm to the door. A single flight of stairs stood between Malcolm and the sanctity of his home where he could vomit in peace.

“Come on, not that much farther.”

He didn’t think he could make it up those steps. After throwing up the first time, then heaving on the side of the road, his body felt like mush. He would sleep on the sidewalk if it meant he didn’t have to go up stairs.

He groaned pathetically and albeit a bit dramatically.

“Can you carry me?”

Dani chuckled. “You know, you’re cute when you’re sick and needy.” She manhandled him up the stairs and into the apartment. No sooner than he stepped foot inside did he make a b-line to the bathroom to presumably throw up a second time. Dani felt bad for him. The poor guy couldn’t seem to catch a break.

With sounds of vomiting coming from down the hall, Dani distracted herself by looking around the apartment. Not much had changed since the last time she was there. Everything was so clean and organized. There were a few personal belongings scattered here and there, but otherwise the room looked like it had been ripped clean from the pages of a Luxury Home Décor catalog.

After the incident with cocaine, Dani had become pretty familiar with Malcolm’s kitchen. She pulled a small trashcan out from under the sink and carried it to Malcolm’s bed, just in time to watch him throw himself onto the mattress.

He laid face down and groaned into his pillow. Feeling a dip in the mattress, he turned on his side to see Dani watching him expectantly.

“Sorry you had to drive me home.”

“I didn’t want you to have to walk. Need some help with these?” She held up one of the handcuffs for inspection.

“I think that’d be for the best. I’m trying too hard to focus on not throwing up again.” He squeezed his eyes shut and offered her one of his wrist.

She smiled and wrapped a cuff around it. It felt different than the first time she did it. It almost felt normal. Or as close to the word as anyone got when dealing with Malcolm Bright. Mostly, she was glad he trusted her enough to let her do this for him.

Dani thought he’d fallen asleep by the time she got the second cuff on him. But as she stood to leave, she felt a hand wrap around her wrist.

“Wait,” a faint voice called.

“I thought you were asleep.”

“Almost. Do you… mind staying a little longer?”

Dani hesitated, and Malcolm almost regretted saying anything. Then he felt her weight beside him.

She sat upright against the headboard, legs extended in front of her. Neither said a word while they waited for Malcolm to fall asleep. He was on the very brink of sleep when he felt a hand on his forehead, pushing the hair out of his eyes.

He didn’t move at all.

Dani thought he was asleep again.

She pushed his hair back and combed her fingers through the short ends. He looked so peaceful like this.

“Goodnight, Bright.”

Malcolm would never fall asleep now.


End file.
